


Surprise

by tomorrowsnews



Series: Runaway [2]
Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 04:43:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2256303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomorrowsnews/pseuds/tomorrowsnews
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Romeo was a few weeks short of turning fifteen when he left his home and never looked back. He would forever be thankful to all of his friends for helping him get out of there. But he was especially thankful to Henry and his family for letting him stay with them. And he didn't let them forget it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> A much happier follow-up to the fic where Romeo runs away.

Romeo was a few weeks short of turning fifteen when he left his home and never looked back. He would forever be thankful to all of his friends for helping him get out of there. But he was especially thankful to Henry and his family for letting him stay with them. And he didn't let them forget it.

"You're sure it's okay for me to stay here?" Romeo asked, in between bites of pancakes. Damn, Henry's father was a good cook. "Not if you keep asking, it won't be," Henry's mother joked, setting down a plate of bacon in front of Romeo. His eyes widened to about the size of the plate. "Deal," he said, shoving strip after strip of bacon into his mouth.

It took about three weeks of lots of very awkward, carefully worded conversations full of half-truths with the high school office to get it settled that  _yes, Romeo had moved_  and  _yes, he shared an address with Henry_  but  _no, this wasn't a legal matter_ \--it very much was, Henry's father tried to reason with Romeo, but Romeo refused. He wouldn't let his little siblings get shuffled around the foster system. He had a plan to get them out on his own terms. His older brother was supposed to keep an eye on them, as Romeo couldn't risk going back. If he noticed anything going on, he was supposed to get them the hell out of there. Romeo made him swear on it.

Two weeks after the final meeting, Romeo had woken up to an empty house. Which was weird, considering that he and Henry always left before Henry's parents did. He double checked the clock to make sure he hadn't slept through his alarm. Not that that would've made a difference, considering Henry had literally dragged him out of bed when he had done that the week before. Romeo just shrugged it off and made himself some cereal. He was used to fending for himself in the mornings, though he was already growing accustomed to the idea of breakfast waiting for him when he came downstairs.

With still no word from anyone, Romeo hopped on his bike (Henry's bike, but he had outgrown it the summer before his freshman year) and rode it to school, praying for a sunny day. The school day went on normally, but his friends didn't. They were all acting weird, and any time he'd come up to them in the hall, they'd stop talking. Usually, they got louder when they saw him approaching, though that was mostly because Romeo was a loud person. Even Specs, who he had been shamelessly flirting with for the past two months, got jumpy when he saw Romeo. And not the kind of jumpy Romeo wanted him to be. 

By the end of the day, Romeo was getting pretty bummed out about it. He couldn't figure out anything he might have said that would've annoyed more than he usually did. He rode his bike to their usual hangout spot, figuring that they couldn't avoid him there. Whenever he pulled up to the cafe, it looked like everyone was in there. Romeo's only thought as he pulled open the door was  _this can either go really well or really scary._

Everyone was silent when Romeo opened the door. And it really looked like everyone was there.  _Maybe they were having a meeting about how much they hate me,_  Romeo thought. Within the time it took for him to take two steps inside, everyone had turned around to look at him. He was about to back out of the cafe when Crutchie popped up from behind the counter and yelled "Surprise!" Everyone followed suit with a chorus of "surprise", with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Race came up behind him and nudged him towards a stool along the counter, snapping a party hat on his head. "You all were in on this?" Romeo said, incredulously. "That's kinda the point, squirt," Race smirked, smacking Romeo on the back. 

Romeo started to say something in reply, but he was immediately drowned out when everyone began singing "Happy Birthday." It was led by Henry's parents, who were wheeling a cake out from the kitchen. Romeo's face broke out into a grin and he felt tears welling up. He barely held himself together while he blew out the candles. He mouthed thank you to them because he knew he'd start crying for real if he said it. 

He did start crying about ten seconds later, whenever Jack and Davey came back from the back room carrying a stack of presents. Some of the boys had put their money together to get him nice stuff, others just got him what they could manage, but he appreciated it all more than he could possibly express. 

As the party started winding down a little while later, Romeo climbed up on the counter. He banged a couple cups together until he had everyone's attention. "Uh...hi. I, uh, wanted to thank you all for coming and uh, wow this is weird, I don't really know what to say. Normally I can't stop talking but now look at me, up here stumbling like an idiot." He ran a hand through his hair, feeling his cheeks get red. "Wow, okay, um. This really means a lot to me, you guys. This hasn't been an easy time for me, and I'm super thankful to Henry and his parents for taking me in. They're really great. So uh, thanks, you guys. You're the best. All of you are. Really. I mean, who needs a family when I've got friends like all of you?" He smiled, and looked at Henry's parents. "No offense." They laughed. Romeo took a deep breath. "But really, though. I probably wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for all of you. Honestly, you guys kinda saved me." He could feel his courage winding down and the tears springing back up. "This is the best birthday I've ever had. I love you all." Romeo sat down on the counter, letting the tears flow while almost everyone came and hugged him. 

It was past 11pm by the time everyone had left the diner. Romeo insisted that he ride his bike home, even though Henry's parents assured him it would be fine to leave at the diner until tomorrow. Romeo promised he would come straight home, he just wanted to be alone for a few minutes after being surrounded by so many people for such a long period of time. They were uneasy about it, but they knew he wasn't taking no for an answer. 

So Romeo biked to his old house, even though it was in the opposite direction. He stopped on the road right in front and looked up at it. It seemed so much bigger from the outside.  Romeo laid his bike on the grass in the front yard and started to walk up to the house. He made it as far as the steps to the porch before he even realized what he was doing. He stopped and looked up, absentmindedly tracing an old scar going down the side of his arm. You couldn't see twelve years of abuse and neglect from the outside of that house. You couldn't see that there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide once you were inside. He picked up a chunk of brick, and took a few steps back. "I am more than my past," he said, rather loudly considering the time of night. "I am more than this house." Romeo aimed for a second floor window. "And I will not let this hell define me." He threw the rock as hard as he could. It broke through the glass, though most of it went inside. He heard the people he used to call his parents yelling. Romeo had learned long ago that they weren't his real parents to begin with, and he never had to refer to them as such ever again.

He hopped on his bike and rode home, his middle finger extended in the direction of the old house long after it was out of sight.


End file.
